


Broken Pride

by Rei382



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 16:14:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13685217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rei382/pseuds/Rei382
Summary: It's a tradition that in the day after Valentine's Day, the women in the office give chocolate to their fellow male workers. It is also a tradition, Roy Mustang proudly believes, that he always gets the largest amount of said chocolate. No one likes it when traditions are broken; especially not by the seemingly loner newcomer.





	Broken Pride

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day, to whoever celebrates it <3 I love you all with all my heart (and always slightly more when you leave me kudos or comments <3)

Roy buttoned the last button on the bottom of his shirt. He looked up at the reflection in the mirror and ran his fingers through his hair. The stray hairs returned pretty much to the exact place they’ve been at before the gesture, but somehow, Roy still was more pleased with the way it looked now. He smirked at his reflection and turned. He grabbed his keys, phone and sunglasses before he left the house, locking the door behind him and heading towards his black Audi. He started the engine and checked the mirror one last time before he placed the sunglasses on his nose, and started driving through the road he knew only too well.

He didn’t put any extra effort into his looks today. It was simply that he was on the better side of the looks scale. After all, it was just another day at work. He didn’t care at all that it was White Day, when the female employees traditionally gifted the male employees with chocolates. True, he did like chocolate (and cookies). A lot. And it was also true that he was always the employee who received the largest amount of chocolates. But the fact that he used an extra squeeze of his cologne and spent a minute longer in front of his wardrobe choosing his shirt (Saint Laurent in classic grey) and pants (Hugo Boss, Whitmore in black) didn’t mean anything. He just had a slightly better mood today, that’s all.

He turned the car in the familiar corner, and drove the rest of the way to the office. Several minutes later he arrived at the complex and parked his car at his usual spot, flawlessly as always. He stepped out of his car and walked towards the building. The guard nodded towards him in acknowledgment and wished him a good day as he opened the door for him. Roy stepped inside, taking off his sunglasses on his way to the elevator, his mood getting better and better as he thought of all the chocolates waiting for him on his desk. He was greeted warm-heartedly the moment he entered the office, and after a few polite small talk conversations he could finally walk to his desk, where, as expected, a rather large pile of ribbon-decorated boxes waited for him. He smirked. He looked through some of them, pleased to see that as usual, most boxes seemed to contain hand-made chocolates or cookies, beautifully decorated, and some of them even had little notes attached to them.

He could see the other guys looking at him with the usual look of hate mixed appreciation as he moved the pile a little bit to the side so he could start working.

Today seemed to go just as planned. It was definitely a good day.

*

Proud, and maybe just a little bit smug, Roy joined his coworkers at the building’s cafeteria. They all seemed to look at him curiously as he sat down. He could sense a somewhat weird atmosphere, and it only became worse as the others remained quiet. Eventually he decided it was time for him to speak.

“It looks like a good day, isn’t it,” he said before he begun eating. He could see the others exchange looks between them. He arched an eyebrow as he chewed his food, waiting for someone, or something, to explain the strange behavior.

“You haven’t heard, haven’t you?” asked Jean. He was in the social media department – actually, he _was_ the social media department – of the company, which was a relatively small one – but still, very successful.

His question, combined with the intensified stares, started making him feel very uncomfortable. "What was I supposed – or not supposed – to hear?” he asked carefully. He didn’t like this. It felt like they were going to ruin his good day.

They exchanged glances again, but before Roy could complain, the marketing guy, Heymans, spoke, keeping his voice almost a whisper. “Rumor has it that the new Java guy got _over thirty_ White Day packages! That’s even more than you, Roy!”

Roy frowned. Thirty? But the entire company only contained twenty-three people. Out of them, only ten were women. And he knew, since he was the office manager. Now, it was true that Roy himself usually received more than that; but that was only because he was friends with some of the employees of the other companies in the building. But even then, it was only around fifteen packages, and never over twenty five. Not that he was counting them, by any means. So yes, thirty was more than what Roy got. He tried to force his mind to think who was the new Java guy. He did remember hiring someone, since their last Java guy decided he wanted to start school, which didn’t quite work with the schedule. They kept him but only as a part-timer, to help out when needed. The new guy, however…

“Yes. And he didn’t even seem to care about it! All he did was frown at them and then he started asking people if they wanted the chocolates. Something about him not eating dairy. He only kept the dark chocolate ones…”

“Is he one of those vegan hipsters? He has long hair right? Has to be a hipster – “

“No, no, I saw him eat a steak the other day. Maybe he’s just allergic.”

“I think I spoke to him the other day about it. He just doesn’t like milk.”

Roy was getting more annoyed by the second. He now knew who they were talking about – ‘new Java guy’ was that blond he hired about two weeks ago. He was really ill-tempered, but knew his way around programming. He knew several languages and seemed to be brilliant in each and every one of them; he had vast experience, although most of it seemed to be unofficial and volunteer. But he showed proofs that he developed some pretty complicated things, and he answered any question quickly, with no hesitation and in full confidence. Yes, Roy remembered him clearly now. He wasn’t friendly, and Roy didn’t remember seeing him mixing up with any of the others.

It made zero sense that he received more chocolates than Roy did.

“It’s so unfair. I always get one from each girl. At best. And I’ve been working here for three years!” Roy glanced at Kain. He almost felt bad for the guy, and almost felt bad for feeling as disappointed as he felt – after all, he received twenty four packages today – but he couldn’t bring himself to it.

Vato shook his head. “I always receive ten. Exactly. And they always look exactly the same, from the same shop. I’m pretty sure they send one girl to get me the chocolates out of obligation and not because they want to…”

Roy knew it was true; he personally heard the girls talk about it. But he really couldn’t blame them; Vato Falman was a fine man. Very likeable and friendly. He was an excellent employee. And a great technical support guy. But he was also relatively old and unattractive, not to mention that he was married and had five kids. He was more like a father figure to all of them, which explained why it was nothing more than a polite gesture.

“It’s truly unfair. I received eight this year. I mean, they were really nice and all, but only _eight_ – “

“What would you say about me then, Jean? I got four. _Four_!” They all looked at Denny. Roy knew he wasn’t the only one looking at him with a hint of pity. Heymans placed his hand on Denny’s shoulder.

“It’s only because they don’t know you yet, man. You’re only here for… what? Two months?”

“Three.”

“See? Basically nothing!”

“But that – whats his name, Edmond?”

“Edward, I think.”

“Whatever. He’s been here for _two weeks_.”

The guys continue to discuss this, mostly trying to comfort each other for the small amount of gifts they received. Roy joined in every now and then, but he mostly ate his food in silence. He had to find out how come the new Java guy got more chocolates than him. Not that he was jealous or anything. Just curious.

*

He returned to the office earlier than the others, and in a much fouler mood than when he left it for lunch. At some point Riza and Maria joined their table and the conversation changed its course, but as Roy couldn’t stop thinking about the chocolate situation he found himself unable to concentrate, and he excused himself early. As he stepped into the office, he glanced at the new guy’s desk; as expected, he was sitting there, working. Roy returned to his own desk. It was still decorated with packs of home-made chocolate, but it no longer made him feel good. He walked over and sat in his chair, he stared at the monitor but he couldn’t bring himself to concentrate. He wasn’t even sure why the whole chocolate ordeal was bothering him so much. It was just chocolate. It wasn’t like he was going to date all the girls who presented him with one (although if any of them was nice-looking and not too stupid he wouldn’t say no to that), or that if someone chose not to give him the sweets it meant he couldn’t date her if he wanted (because, really, who would say no to a night with Roy Mustang?).

No, the more he thought about it the more he realized he just felt _betrayed_.

For all five years this company existed and he’d worked here, he was the undeniable king of White Day gifts. No one had ever beaten him. And all of a sudden a new guy, who was hired no longer than a fortnight ago, and wasn’t even too friendly or charming, beat him so easily.

Annoyed, Roy couldn’t help his curiosity. He looked up from his screen towards the desk on the far corner, the one he designated for the Java guy two weeks ago. As expected, Edward (that was his name, right?) was sitting there, hunched over his desk and staring into his own computer screen. It looked like he didn’t even get up for lunch break, judging from the empty take-out boxes that rested next to him, along the untouched chocolate boxes. What was so special about that weirdo? His golden hair was clearly too long, hanging at the back of his head in a loose ponytail. It almost looked girl-like, only that it didn’t look as soft as women’s hair tended to be. He was also a little bit too short, if Roy recalled correctly from seeing him standing up (which was a rather rare occasion). He didn’t even dress nicely. Always coming to work in weird t-shirts and a pair of jeans that looked like he owned them for a while. And his walk was weird, always just a little bit off. How could that be attractive to anyone?

Roy changed his position in his chair, leaning backwards and crossing his arms over his chest as his stare was still fixed at the young man’s back. He was short and his hair looked bad, but he was well built. His arms were well toned, and it looked like his back wasn’t too bad, either, but it was hard telling with the loose shirt covering it. Roy moved his head to the side thoughtfully. As far as he recalled, his facial features weren’t too bad. And his eyes – they caught Roy’s attention the moment the young guy stepped into his office on the day of the interview. They were the fiercest eyes he’d ever seen. Pure amber, with a flame burning deep inside them. From the first glance Roy knew that he wasn’t the kind of guy to give up easily on anything. Along with his brilliant mind, that was what made Roy hire him in the first place.

No, he definitely wasn’t bad looking; but the way he presented himself ruined it, as if he was hiding. Or maybe like he just didn’t care how people saw him. Roy moved his leg, losing himself in his thoughts. Maybe if he cut his hair short. And changed his clothes. Not much could be done about his height, that wasn’t his fault, but… maybe under the right conditions, the guy _could_ be considered attractive. He clearly had the right canvas to work with, he just wasn’t using it right. Roy lost himself in thoughts and kept watching as Edward got up from his chair, exposing his back side to his view. Roy never really bothered to look at it, deciding his new employee was too young (wasn’t he over a decade younger?) and until now he didn’t even think could be considered attractive. His backside, however. Even with the unflattering jeans, Roy could see that the young man’s behind was a work of art. He couldn’t help but wonder, if it looked _that_ good when so well hidden, just how glorious it was _without_ anything covering it.

It was only when Edward turned that Roy realized he was staring, and he looked away, pretending to focus on his computer monitor instead. It became harder and harder to pretend as he heard footsteps and he could feel, more than anything else, as he got closer to him. He swallowed as the steps stopped, and a shadow covered his screen.

“You know I could probably sue you, right?”

Roy’s heart skipped a beat, but he composed himself quickly. He arched up an eyebrow and turned, determined to deny it all. “Excuse me?” He replied. He looked up at the other man. Edward was looking directly at him. Now Roy could also see that his face wasn’t half bad; the amber color of his eyes really was mesmerizing, and the proportions were almost prefect. His nose just a tiny bit too pointy, but much to his horror, he found that adorable. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind.

“Like, I know I’m new and you’re the boss and all, but it’s still not right to gape at your employees.”

Roy paused for a second, studying his employee. His feature screamed defiance, but there was something underneath all that hostility; a hint of a smirk, a gleam of mischief in his amber eyes… and something slightly different, too. It intrigued him. Roy came to the conclusion that this whole ordeal was nothing but a game of some sort, although he still wasn’t sure what the purpose was. Whatever it was, however, Roy decided his newest addition to the team wasn’t going to act on his threat. For now, then, he was just going to play the game and see where it takes him.

“Staring, was I?” he asked, relaxing in his chair. He leaned backwards, looking at the younger man with a small smirk. He allowed his eyes to wander over Edward figure shortly before he looked back up to meet his eyes. He had to admit that now that he wasn’t slouching in his chair, it really did seem like he was hiding an incredible body under his baggy clothes. “Someone thinks very highly of themselves.”

Edward held his stare, but Roy could see a spark flicking in his eyes. “Don’t think it has anything to do with the way I perceive myself. I could see your reflection looking at me on my computer screen. I could also see how you, uh, changed the target when I got up. Very reflective screens in this company, you know,” he said, casually pointing in the general direction of his cubicle. “If you want to go around staring at your employees, get matte screens.”

“Had it crossed your mind that I might’ve just been staring randomly while I was thinking, and you just happened to be there?”

“Thinking about my ass, maybe – “

“If I wanted to watch men, there are more suitable places than between the confines of this building,” he replied.

Edward gave a little snort. “Yeah, and I’m sure you visit these places often enough. So then, why were you staring?”

“I have already told you I was not staring.”

“And _I_ have already told _you_ that – “

“Let’s play a game then,” Roy cut into his employee’s words, watching as his expression changed. He looked somewhat surprised, both his eyebrows arched up above his amber eyes. Was it a spark he saw there? “Let’s say I _was_ staring at you.”

“Then you admit you’re guilty – “

“ Then it would’ve been only because I was trying to figure out how a newbie like yourself, who, I must say, is not too impressive – “

“Looks to me like you think otherwise.”

“Only when it comes to your programming skills,” Roy found himself smirking, and he allowed himself another look, head to toe, of his newest recruit; just for the sport of it. He had to admit that despite his lack in the height department, he truly was an eye candy. His defiance did nothing but add to his overall appeal. “If I continue my point, then, how come _you_ of all people managed to beat the invincible king of white day’s chocolates.”

The young man nodded at his desk, where the boxes still rested, mostly untouched. “Jealous, much?”

Roy wore his most sincerely offended expression. “My, my. Of course not. Just curious.”

“Looked to me like you were conducting a thorough research. Any conclusions?”

Roy allowed his features relax to a smirk. “None too specific. I think further research is of need.”

“Is that so?”

Roy pushed himself off the chair and walked a step nearer the younger man. He lowered his gaze slightly to meet his, noticing the spark had ignited a fire. His smirk broadened; despite his earlier words, despite his words, Edward didn’t seem to oppose the obvious advance. “Scientifically speaking.”

The office door opened, accompanied by the loud voices of their other office mates. Both men held the lock of their eyes for a second before Roy took the necessary step backwards, and sat back in his chair. “We’ll continue this discussion later,” he said, his tone final and casual; as if he and Edward were talking about work, and not… _other_ things.

Edward let out a short snort. “Sure. I should probably get back to work anyway,” he said, and walked away, back to his own desk, where he returned to his former position of slouching in front of his computer, completely ignoring the others as they greeted him except for a short nod.

Roy smiled at them, asked them how the rest of their meal was, engaged in some small talk for a moment or two before he told them it was time to get back to work and turned back to his screen himself.

He was almost surprised his AIM blinking at the bottom of his screen. He smirked and clicked on it. He didn’t even need to look at the username of the sender to know who it was from.

_How about you continue your little research Saturday night at 7?_

Roy lifted his eyes, once again looking towards the desk of his newest employee. This time he could see that the screens were, indeed, very reflective; at least when it came to the bright gold eyes looking straight at him through it like a mirror. He returned his eyes to his own screen before he typed a reply.

_Do I really have to wait that long? Alright. Saturday night at 7 it is. Should I pick you up?_

He waited, staring at his screen. He had to wait for an entire minute, a minute that felt like forever. But finally a message popped on his screen.

  _You have my address._

Roy smiled and relaxed into his chair. This ended way different than what he’d imagined; but he couldn’t say he didn’t like the outcome. And he couldn’t blame those who gave the newest addition to the office all those chocolates.

**Author's Note:**

> Okaies so I hope you enjoyed this little piece <3  
> This was my first try at a modern AU... still not sure how I feel about it lol  
> Though it was sure a lot of fun to write!


End file.
